Hilton news: new DoubleTree hotel opens in Nice, no more Hilton / Chelsea FC offers?

News in brief:

New DoubleTree by Hilton Nice Centre Iconic opens

If you’ve been to Nice in the last couple of years, you probably saw the new performance hall being built alongside the main railway station.

As you can see from the image below, it is hard to miss. Daniel Libeskind was the architect.

The original plan was that Iconic would include a Hilton Garden Inn hotel, but at some point this was switched to a DoubleTree by Hilton.

The hotel is now open, although construction work is continuing on other elements of the centre. Note that, whilst the hotel bar and terrace are open, the main restaurant will not open until September.

It’s worth a look if you are planning a trip to Nice this summer – you are getting a brand new hotel and rates should be soft as demand always take time to build.

The DoubleTree Nice website is here.

Our last Nice hotel review was Hyatt’s Palais de la Mediterranee here.

We’ve also done two Cannes hotel reviews in the last year. In March, Rhys reviewed Hilton’s Canopy on the seafront. If you want something very high end, here’s my 2023 review of IHG’s Carlton Cannes, A Regent Hotel.

Ascott becomes the ‘Official Hotel Partner’ of Chelsea football club

If you’ve been following our articles this year on Hilton’s promotions with Chelsea FC, including the infamous ‘Best Bed At The Bridge’ stunt and the ‘on the pitch’ training day, there is some bad news.

Chelsea FC has signed a four year deal with Singaporean hospitality group Ascott to be its official hotel partner. This is very likely to see the end of the Hilton promotions.

As part of the deal, Ascott will manage the two hotels inside Stamford Bridge which are currently run by Millennium & Copthorne. They will be rebranded under Ascott’s ‘lyf’ brand.

Ascott is best known for its serviced apartments which include the Citadines brand. It has a hotel operation too, albeit not a large one in the UK. The Cavendish hotel in London is currently being refurbished and will join Ascott’s Crest Collection.

Ascott will be offering ‘money can’t buy’ experiences at Chelsea to members of its Ascott Star Rewards loyalty programme. Given how little traction the scheme has in the UK, it will be interesting to see the take-up.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit and debit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.

You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.

We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.

You can apply for either card here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 30th April 2025, the annual fee on the basic Hilton Honors debit card is halved from £60 to £30. The sign-up bonus is also easier to earn – you need to spend £1,000 either in the UK or abroad within three months. The usual bonus rule requires you to spend the full £1,000 outside the UK.

NEW: Hilton Honors Plus Debit

10,000 bonus points, Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review

NEW: Hilton Honors Debit

2,500 bonus points, Hilton Silver status and 0.5% FX fees Read our full review

There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.

Holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card.  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton Honors points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points.